Device for use in mixing printer&#39;s ink



July 25, H. A. BRAGG DEVICE FOR USE IN MIXING PRINTERS INK Filed Feb. 16. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l L15 fial i gflfiragg 2% M 75. W M M 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. A. BRAGG DEVICE FOR USE} IN MIXING PRINTERS INK Filed Feb. 16, 1931 July 25, 1933.

Patented July 25, 1933 UNITED STATES HARRY A, 'IBRAGG, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON DEVICE FOR USE IN MIXING PRINTER/S INK.

Application filed February 16, 1831. Serial No. 516,154.

My invention relates to a device for use of printers in mixing tints.

The mixing of printers inks to obtam specified colors'and tints is largely a matter of guesswork, so far as I am aware, and 11(l] only is the process wasteful, but it is not possible with the apparatus heretofore in use to reproduce precisely any given color or tint. All such mixing is dependent upon the skill andexperience of the printer, and

if a given job is to be reproduced by a second printer (or even by the same printer at different times) the color will usually vary somewhat from the original tint, largely be-' 15 cause the printer has no precise guide by which he may mix the various colors which make up the desired tint. Moreover, inattempting to mix a difficult tint, whichmay be a mixture of two, three, or more different colors, with widely varying amounts of each, a printer will frequently waste and spoil a considerable quantity of ink. v

It is the principal object of my invention, therefore. to give a printer an, exact guide and apparatus whereby he may infallibly reproduce any given tint that has once been mixed with such apparatus, so that even an unskilled printer may obtain the desired tint, and so that different printers, working at 39 different times, may likewise reproduce the desired tint 'without experimentation, and a device so simple and convenient that it will in practice he used.

It is also an object of my invention to give to the printer a device'whereby he may measure out, without weighing, the quantity of ink required, practically without waste, and so that he may know exactly how much ink has been used on a given job, thus making it possible to figure exactly the cost of the ink, which is one of the factors entering into the cost of a job of printing.

More specifically, it is my object to give the printer a means whereby he may divide a mass of printers ink into as: many and as small parts as would be required in commercial printing, and which will enable him to substitute for the divided-out part a different color, whereby varioustints made up definite relationship to each other, for inof specified proportions of different colors may be reproduced exactly.

My invention comprises the novel parts and the novel combination and arrangement thereof, as shown in the accompanying drawings, described in this specification, and as will be more particularly pointed out by a the claims which terminate the same.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown one embodiment of my invention, it being understood that the same may take various shapes, all within the scope of the claims.

Figure 1 is a general plan view of my device, shown in position for dividing a mass 35 i of ink, and Figure 2 is a side elevation there'- of. l

Figure 3 is a section from front to rear ona vertical plane through such a device, parts being in a somewhat altered position from that shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure l is a side elevation,.and Figure 5 is a plan view, with parts broken away, showing the device set up for measuring out an exact quantity of ink. Printers ink is a semi-liquid substance, which, when placed upon a flat surface, will spread out but will still maintain 'a considerable thickness. A considerable mass, then, may be concentrated within a comparatively small area. A mass of ink to be mixed, as illustrated at M, is spread upon the surface of a table 1, which preferably is of a substance to which the ink will not stick, such as a piece of plate glass. The surface of'such a table may bear a series of concentric circles, as have been illustrated at 10, or, since the engraving of these circles upon the table would make it diflicult to clean the table thoroughly, I prefer that these circles be printed upon a card 11 which is placed'beneath the glass table 1, the whole being suitably supported upon a stand 12 and being held in place thereon by clips 13, certain of which may be removable in order to permit removal of the glass plate 1 for cleaning. The circles 10 may. be arbitrary circles, or they may bear certain stance, the severalcircles may represent mul tiples of a unit weight of ink. By providing means, such as the numerals N, whereby the individual circles may be identified, it is possible, by placing just enough ink on the table to cover a selected circle, to know that the quantity of ink required for a given job has been placed upon thetable.

Six basic colors which are used in mixing tints in printers inks, aside from black and white, may be yellow, orange, flame red, dark red, Milori blue and reflection. blue, which,

for convenience, are designated in order, numhers one, two, three, four, five and six. In mixinga given green, there may be employed. one part of number five, the Milori blue, and twenty-five parts of number one, yellow; There are thus comprised in the whole mass of ink twenty-six parts, and a quantity of the number one, yellow equivalent to the amount required for the entire job, is placed upon the table 1, and means are then provided for separating out. of this mass 1/26 thereof, which is to be replaced by the num ber five color, or Milori blue. Similarly, if mixing a more complicated color, which, for instance,'may be made up of ten parts of number three, the flame red, ten parts of number one, yellow. and one part of black. which will make a rich brown. there are twentymne parts in all, and a mass of either the number three, flame red or the number one, yellow. is placed upon the table, and by means to be described. there is sepa ated from the mass. /21 of the entire mass, and then an additional 1/21, and

there is supplied to the mass equal amounts of the colors to be substituted. For instance, it number one is the color first supplied, there is supplied ten parts of the number three, that is, an amount equal to the 10/21 divided out, and there is substituted of the black an amount equivalent to the 1/21 part divided out, and from the three basic colors thus supplied there is mixed the brown tintdesired. Having once divided out the exact proportions of the entire mass, the substitution is accomplished very exactly by balancing this removed mass in a scale or balance against an equal quantity of the color to be substituted. The balance is not shown, and any balance which is sufficiently accurate tor the purpose may be emploved.

. In order to divide the mass M, which has been placed upon the table approximately centrally ot the circles, and which finds its level in a circular mass of some thickness, I employ an angular divider. In the term shown, it comprises a plate/2, which is hinged at 23 to a plate 3. The plate 3 extends at each side of the hinge at 23, and there is secured to the plate 3 a semi-circular segment bar 30, the ends of which may for convenience be hinged, as illustrated at 33, to a supporting plate 31. The purpose of this is to permit all parts of the divider-to be folded into substantially a common plane. so'that it may easily be laid away in a drawer or in a fiat condition.

Means are provided for fixing the plate 2 to the segment bar 3 at selected angular positions, and various means may be employed for the purpose. As shown, however, the edge of the segment bar 3 is notched to correspond with a scale upon its surface, and a dog pivoted at 21 to the plate 2 is engageable in any selected notch in the edge of the segment bar Spaced frictional ears 22 may be provided on the dog to straddle the plate-2, and to insure the exact positioning, of the plate 2. The notches and scale on the segment bar are graduated in such manner as to enable separation of portions commonly required.

While such a divider might be employed as a hand tool, for the sake of better accuracy and in order to bring its apex, which coincides with the hinge axis 23, to the exact center of the circles 10, I prefer that it be supported from above by a means which can only move it into such position in contact with the table 1 that its apex coincides with the center of the circles 10. Such a means comprises an arm 4, which is so supported that it may move both in a vertical plane and laterallyof such a plane, but which is so supported and guided that it can only move vertically to an extent which will enable it to contact with the plate when it is in registry to bring the apex of the divider to the center of the circles.

The arm 4 at one end is pivoted at 40 upon an upright post 41, which is pivoted in a bracket 42 to turn upon a vertical axis. At its swinging end the arm 4 is provided with a pin 43, which may be adjustablein the direction of the length of the arm 4, as for instance, by means of a screw-threaded end 44 received in a threaded bore extending inward from the swinging end ofthe arm 4, as may be seen in Figure 3. A knurled handle 45 enables the adjustment of the amount of extension of the pin 43, and serves as a stop to position a sleeve 5, which is received upon the pin 43.

The sleeve 5 forms the support for such a device as the divider composed of the plates 2 and 3. I prefer that the support for the divider plates be other than the pin which forms the hinge at 23, and to that end, I provide a downwardly depending pintle 50, which is received in hinge brackets 35 and 25 respectively, carried by the plates 3 and 2, and a collar 51 below these brackets prevents the disengagement thereof from the pintl-e and is the member which actively supports the weight of the divider plates 2 and 3.

It will be understood that a number of difterent divider plates with, fixed angles might be employed in conjunction with such a device as this, but for convenience, I prefer the hingedly connected plates, which are adjustable to difierent angles.

By means of the adjusting screw 44 the divider plates, when supported from the arm 4,

may be adjusted .in one direction across the Figure 5, and may be removed from the table,

table 1, to bring the apex at 23 precisely into registry with the center of the circles 10, provided the apex lies in the cross line through the center. To insure the exact positioning in a line at right angles to the arm 4, and thus to insure bringing the apex of the divider into registry with the center of the circles, I provide a bracket memberfi, which is suitably supported from the stand 12, as for instance, by the uprights 60, which member has a notch 64 at such a location as will receive the arm i when that arm is in position to bring the apex of the divider platesinto registry with the center of the circles. At this point only, then, the arm 4 may drop sufficiently to enable the plates 2 and 3 to contact with the table 1. At all other locations thebracket 6 is sufliciently elevated to hold the arm 4 upraised so that the plates 2 and 3 are out of contact with the table 1, and preferably, the

upper edge of the bracket 6 is so inclined, as may be seen in Figures 3 and 4, that the arm 4 will ride down the incline and will be caused thus to swing to one side, as may be seen in dotted lines in Figure 1.

The division of the ink may be carried out without measuring out an exact quantity of the ink, or, if it is desired to measure out exact quantities, or if the circles 10 are omitted, I may provide a scraper member 7, as seen in Figures 4 and 5, which member is supported for rotation abouta selected point, or, if the circles are provided, for rotation about the center of the circles 10. It may conveniently be supported from a sleeve 5 corresponding in all respects to the sleeve 5 previously described, and supported interchangeably there with on the arm at. This sleeve 5 has a pint-1e 50 depending from it, and ahead 51, upon which pintle 50, and supported by the head 51, is an arm .70, which preferably is of somewhat resilient material so as to hold the scraper 7 down against the surface of the table with some pressure, when the arm 4; is held in its notch 64. The scraper 7 is preferably adjustably supported, and to that end I have shown a pin and wing nut support at 71, the pin being received in a slot 72 extending longitudinally of the lower arm 73, which is a part of the arm 70. s b After a mass M of ink has been placed upon the table, the scraper 7 is adjusted in position to cut the circle which will leave a definite amount of ink inside of it, and to this end the arm 73 might be graduated. Preferably, the scraper 7 is placed at an acute angle to a tangent to its path of movement, and it is then brought down into contact with the table 1, the arm 4 being held down in the notch 64, and the arm is swung about the pintle 50, the axis of which coincides with the center of the circles 10, if they are employed. The excess E of ink is separated thus from the main mass, as may be seen in support for leaving a measured quantity of ink in the mass M. Now this measured quantity may be divided and subdivided, and different colors substituted forthe removed portion,

in the manner alreadyindicated.

At times, it may be desired to add a very small quantity of one color to another color or tint, and it is inconvenient to clean out from between the plates 2 and 8 a small quantity which has been measured oil' by a very small angle. For such occasions, 1 provide circles 8, which are designated by numerals N, and these circles bear a definite relationship to the correspondingly num bered circles 10. That circle 8 which is numbered 1, may for instance, be such as would be covered by a quantity of ink l/lGOof the,

amount which would cover the circle 10 which is numbered .1, and that circle 8 which is numbered 12 would be covered by a quantity of ink which is 1/100 of the amount which would cover the circle 10 which is numbered 12. Thus if small quantities of a modifying color are to be added to a mass, the mass is exactly measured out upon one of the circles 10,.using the scraper 7, or like means, and the correspondingly numbered circle 8 is covered with quantity of the color to be added, and this amount is then added to the main mass and mixed with it. It 1/50 is required and the circles bear the relationship of one to a huncred, the smaller circle 8 is covered twice, and the amount added to the main mass.

I have described the apparatus as employed for the measuring and mixing of printers ink. It will be: understood, of course, that various substances may be mixed thus, as for instance, wet ordry pigments for use in the mixing of paints, or kalsomineI.

l Vhat I claim as my invention is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a table bearing a series of concentric circles each adapted to circun'iscribe a given quantity of ink, an angular divided, and a i said divided gun for movement into operative position with its apex in registry with the center of said circles, and away, into an inoperative position.

2. A device of the character described com prising a table bearing a series of concentric circles, a pair of hingedly connected plates constituting an angular divider, and means supporting and guiding said divider for movement downward into operative position, in contact with the table, with its hinge-axis in registry with the center of said circles, and away from such operative position.

3. A device as in claim 2, the supporting and guiding means including an arm upon one end of which the divider is supported, means supporting the other end of the arm for movement of the divider towards and from the table, and for swinging movement away from the center of the circles, said supporting and guiding means also including means with which the arm is engageable to exactly position the hinge axis of the divider in registry with the center of the circles and to maintain it elevated from the table except when the arm is engaged with said means.

4. A device as in claim 2, the supporting and guiding means including an arm upon one end of which the divider is supported, means supporting the other end of the arm for movement of the divider towards and from the table, and for swinging movement away from the center of the circles,said supporting and guiding means also including a member notched to receive the arm and thereby to exactly position the hinge axis of the divider in registry with the center or" the circles, said member inclined downwardly away from said notch to maintain the divider elevated above the table and to cause it to swing laterally away from thecenter of the circles. I

5. A device as in claim 2, the supporting and guiding means including an arm upon one end of which the divider is supported, fixed means supporting the arm for movement of the divider as defined. and means for adjusting the effective length of the arm to bring the ,dividers hinge axis initially into exact registry with the center. of the circles.

6. prising a table bearing a series of concentric circles, an arm supported at one end outwardly 01"- the circles for swinging move ments in a vertical plane and laterally of such plane, an angular divider, carried by the swinging end of the arm, and adapted to contact with the table, with its apex in registry withthe center of said circles.

7. A device of the character described comprising a. table bearing a series of concentric circles, an arm supported at one end outwardly of the circles for swinging movements in a vertical plane and laterally of such plane, an angular divider carried by the swinging end of the arm, and adapted to contact with the table, with its apex in registry with the center of said circles and a bracket interposed between the two ends of the arm, of a height to support the divider above the table, and notched to permit the A device of the character described com-- divider to contact with the tableonly when the apex of the divider will register with the center of the circles.

8. A device as in claim 6, the divider having a sleeve upon which it is swiveled, and a pin. adjustable longitudinally of the swinging end of the arm, and receiving said sleeve, whereby the apex of the divider may be brought into exact registry with the center of the circles.

9. In a device of the'character described, an angular divider comprising a pair of hingedly connected plates, and means for fixing the plates in a selected angular relationship.

10. In a device of the character described, an angular divider comprising a pair of hingedly connected plates, a se ment bar concentric with the hinge axis extending from one plate past the other, and means for securing the second-plate to the segment bar, to fix the relative'angular position of the plates.

11. Ina device of the character described, an angular divider comprising a pair of plates,the first hinged to the second intermediate the ends of the latter, a semi-circular'segment bar concentric with the hinge axis and secured at both ends to the second plate, andmeans for securing the first plate to the segment bar to fix the plates in a selected angular position. 7

12. A device as in claimll, the segment bar being hingedly secured to the second plate, whereby the plates and segment bar may be folded to lie substantially in a common plane.

13. A device as in claim 11, the edge of the segment bar being notched, and a dog pivoted on the second plate andengageable with the notched edge of the segment bar to fix the plates in the selected angular position. I e

14-. In a device of the character described, a table bearing a series of concentric circles each having means to identify it, means to remove ink upon thetable outside of any given circle, and a second series of areas outside of such circles each having identifying means common to the first circles, and each of the latter circles having anarea bearing a definite relationship to the area of the similarly identified circle of the first series.

HARRY A. BRAGG.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,919,498. July 25, 1933.

HARRY A. BRAGG.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, lines 111 and 112. claim 1, for "divided" read "divider"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Sign d and sealed this 22nd day of August, A. D. 1933.

M. J. Moore.

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

